Methods and apparatuses for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of methods and apparatuses for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material are provided herein. The method comprises the step of contacting a carbonaceous feedstock with heated inorganic heat carrier particles at reaction conditions effective to rapidly pyrolyze the carbonaceous feedstock to form a product stream comprising pygas, pyrolysis oil, and solids. The solids comprise char and cooled inorganic heat carrier particles. The reaction conditions include a reactor pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatuses for thermal processing of carbonaceous material, and more particularly relates to methods and apparatuses for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material using higher operating pressures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The processing of carbonaceous feedstocks (e.g. biomass) to produce chemicals and/or fuels can be accomplished by fast (rapid or flash) pyrolysis. Fast pyrolysis is a generic term that encompasses various methods of rapidly imparting a relatively high temperature to feedstocks for a very short time, and then rapidly reducing the temperature of the primary products before chemical equilibrium can occur. Using this approach, the complex structures of carbonaceous feedstocks are broken into reactive chemical fragments, which are initially formed by depolymerization and volatilization reactions. The non-equilibrium products are then preserved by rapidly reducing the temperature.

More recently, a rapid thermal process (RTP) has been developed for carrying out fast pyrolysis of carbonaceous material. The RTP utilizes an upflow transport reactor and reheater arrangement, and makes use of an inert inorganic solid particulate heat carrier (e.g. typically sand) to carry and transfer heat in the process. The RTP reactor provides an extremely rapid heating rate and excellent particle ablation of the carbonaceous material, which is particularly well-suited for processing of biomass, as a result of direct turbulent contact between the heated inorganic solid particulates and the carbonaceous material as they are mixed together and travel upward through the reactor. In particular, the heated inorganic solid particulates transfer heat to pyrolyze the carbonaceous material forming char and gaseous products including high quality pyrolysis oil, which are removed from the reactor to a cyclone. The cyclone separates the gaseous products and solids (e.g. inorganic solid particulates and char), and the solids are passed to the reheater.

The reheater is a vessel that burns the char into ash and reheats the inorganic solid particulates, which are then returned to the reactor for pyrolyzing more carbonaceous material. An oxygen-containing gas, typically air, is supplied to the reheater for burning the char. The inorganic solid particulates and char are contained in the lower portion of the reheater and are fluidized by the air, forming a fluidized bubbling bed also referred to as the dense phase. The reheater also has a dilute phase that is above the dense phase and comprises primarily flue gas, entrained inorganic solid particles, and ash, which are the byproducts formed from combusting the char with the air. The flue gas, entrained inorganic solid particles, and ash are removed from the reheater to a cyclone which separates the solids from the flue gas.

Currently, higher capacity RTP arrangements are desired that are capable of handling carbonaceous feedstock rates of up to about 400 bone dry metric tons per day (BDMTPD) or higher compared to previously lower feedstock rates of less than about 100 BDMTPD. The increased feedstock rates result in more gaseous products, flue gas, and char being formed in the RTP reactor, and the RTP reactor, RTP reheater, and auxiliary equipment (e.g. cyclones, air blower, etc.) need to be larger in size to support the larger volumes of the gaseous byproducts including the flue gas that is subsequently produced from burning the additional char. Unfortunately, the larger sizes of these RTP reactors, RTP reheaters and auxiliary equipment substantially increase the cost and complexity of shipping, installing, and operating RTP arrangements.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide apparatuses and methods for rapid thermal processing that can adequately support higher carbonaceous feedstock rates preferably without substantially increasing the cost and complexity of shipping, installing, and operating the RTP arrangement. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Apparatuses and methods for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material are provided herein. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a method for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material is provided. The method comprises the step of contacting a carbonaceous feedstock with heated inorganic heat carrier particles at reaction conditions effective to rapidly pyrolyze the carbonaceous feedstock to form a product stream comprising pygas, pyrolysis oil, and solids. The solids comprise char and cooled inorganic heat carrier particles. The reaction conditions include a reactor pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, a method for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material is provided. The method comprising the steps of contacting a carbonaceous feedstock with heated inorganic heat carrier particles at reaction conditions effective to rapidly pyrolyze the carbonaceous feedstock to form a product stream comprising pygas, pyrolysis oil, and solids. The solids comprise char and cooled inorganic heat carrier particles. The solids are separated from the product stream. An oxygen-containing gas and the solids are combined at combustion conditions effective to burn the char into ash and heat the cooled inorganic heat carrier particles to form heated inorganic particles and an exhaust stream that comprises flue gas, entrained inorganic particles, and ash. The combustion conditions include a combustion pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for producing heat for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material is provided. The apparatus comprises a reactor that is configured to contact a carbonaceous feedstock with heated inorganic heat carrier particles at reaction conditions effective to rapidly pyrolyze the carbonaceous feedstock to form a product stream comprising pygas, pyrolysis oil, and solids. The solids comprise char and cooled inorganic heat carrier particles. The reaction conditions include a reactor pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater. A reheater is in fluid communication with the reactor to receive the solids. The reheater is configured to combine an oxygen-containing gas and the solids at combustion conditions effective to burn the char into ash and heat the cooled inorganic heat carrier particles to form heated inorganic particles and an exhaust stream. The exhaust stream comprises flue gas, entrained inorganic particles, and ash. The combustion conditions include a combustion pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an apparatus for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following Detailed Description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding Background of the Invention or the following Detailed Description.

Various embodiments contemplated herein relate to apparatuses and methods for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material. The exemplary embodiments taught herein provide an apparatus configured as a RTP reactor-reheater arrangement that operates at relatively higher pressures compared to conventional RTP arrangements. In particular, the apparatus comprises a reactor for contacting a carbonaceous feedstock with heated inorganic heat carrier particles at reaction conditions that include a reactor pressure of 70 kPa gauge or greater to rapidly pyrolyze the carbonaceous feedstock to form a product stream. The product stream comprises product vapors that include pyrolysis gas (“pygas”) and pyrolysis oil, and solids that include char and cooled inorganic heat carrier particles. Preferably, a cyclone operating at a separation pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater is used to separate the solids from the product stream.

The apparatus further comprises a reheater that receives the solids. The reheater is configured to combine an oxygen-containing gas and the solids at combustion conditions effective to burn the char into ash and heat the cooled inorganic heat carrier particles to form heated inorganic particles and an exhaust stream that comprises flue gas, entrained inorganic particles, and ash. In an exemplary embodiment, the combustion conditions include a combustion pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater. Preferably, a cyclone operating at a separation pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater is used to separate the flue gas from the exhaust stream.

The inventors have found that by operating the RTP arrangement at relatively higher pressures of about 70 kPa gauge or greater compared to typically lower RTP operating pressures of about 30 kPa gauge or less, the gaseous products, e.g., product vapors produced in the reactor and the flue gas produced in the reheater, are more compressed and have corresponding lower volumetric flow rates throughout the RTP arrangement. Accordingly, the reactor, reheater, and auxiliary equipment do not require additional volume that would otherwise be needed to accommodate the increased amounts of the gaseous products produced from increased carbonaceous feedstock rates and therefore, the cost and complexity of shipping, installing, and operating the RTP reactor-reheater arrangement is not substantially impacted.

Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic depiction of an apparatus 10 for rapid thermal processing of a carbonaceous material in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is provided. The apparatus 10 comprises an upflow transport reactor 12 and a reheater 14 that is in fluid communication with the reactor 12. The reactor 12 is configured for achieving a relatively high temperature within a minimum amount of time as well as providing a relatively short residence time at the high temperature to affect fast pyrolysis of a carbonaceous feedstock 20 (e.g. biomass including biomass waste). The relatively high temperature is achieved in a lower portion 16 of the reactor 12 using heated inorganic heat carrier particles 18 (e.g., heated sand) that are supplied from the reheater 14 to drive the pyrolysis process.

As illustrated and will be discussed in further detail below, a dryer zone 13 removes water from a moisture-containing carbonaceous feedstock 11 to form the carbonaceous feedstock 20 that preferably has a moisture content of about 6 weight percent (wt. %) or less. The carbonaceous feedstock 20 is supplied to a feed bin 22 where a reactor feed conveyor 24 introduces the carbonaceous feedstock 20 to the lower portion 16 of the reactor 12. A carrier gas 25, which can be a recirculation gas collected from a suitable location along the apparatus 10, is also introduced to the lower portion 16 of the reactor 12. The carrier gas 25 preferably contains less than about 1 wt. % of oxygen, and more preferably, less than about 0.5 wt. % of oxygen so that there is very little or no oxygen present thus minimizing or preventing oxidation and/or combustion of the carbonaceous feedstock 20 in the reactor 12.

Rapid mixing of the heated inorganic heat carrier particles 18 and the carbonaceous feedstock 20 occur in the lower portion 16 of the reactor 12. As the mixture advances up the reactor 12 in turbulent flow with the carrier gas 25, heat is transferred from the heated inorganic heat carrier particles 18 to the carbonaceous feedstock 20. In an exemplary embodiment, mixing and rapid heat transfer occurs within about 10% of the desired overall reactor resident time. Accordingly, the mixing time is preferably less than about 0.1 seconds, and more preferably within about 0.015 to about 0.030 seconds. Preferably, the temperature in the lower portion 16 of the reactor 12 is from about 600 to about 780° C., and the heating rate of the carbonaceous feedstock 20 is about 1000° C. per second or greater. The use of sand or other suitable inorganic particulate as a solid heat carrier enhances the heat transfer because of the higher heat carrying capacity of the inorganic particles, and the ability of the inorganic particles to mechanically ablate the surface of the reacting carbonaceous material.

As the heated mixture is carried towards an upper portion 17 of the reactor 12 with the carrier gas 25, fast pyrolysis of the carbonaceous feedstock 20 occurs. In an exemplary embodiment, the reactor 12 is operating at a reactor pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater, preferably of from about 70 to about 345 kPa gauge, more preferably of from about 140 to about 215 kPa gauge, and most preferably of from about 170 to about 175 kPa gauge. The sand or other inorganic heat carrier particles and the carrier gas 25, along with product vapors 30 and char form a product stream 26. The carrier gas 25, the product stream 26, and the product vapors 30 are relatively compressed compared to conventional RTP reactor streams due to the relatively high reactor pressure of the reactor 12. Preferably, the temperature in the upper portion 17 of the reactor 12 is from about 450 to about 600° C.

The product stream 26 is carried out of the upper portion 17 of the reactor 12 to a cyclone 28. In an exemplary embodiment, the cyclone 28 is operating at a pressure of about 70 kPa or greater. The cyclone 28, preferably a reverse flow cyclone, removes the solids 32, e.g., inorganic solid particles and char, from the product vapors 30, which comprise the carrier gas 25, non-condensible product gases (e.g. pygas) and the primary condensible vapor products (e.g. pyrolysis oil). The product vapors 30 are removed from the cyclone 28 and passed to a Quench Tower (not shown), for example, for rapid cooling or quenching to preserve the yields of the valuable non-equilibrium products in the product vapors 30. The solids 32 are removed from the cyclone 28 and passed to the reheater 14.

As illustrated and will be discussed in further detail below, the reheater 14 receives an oxygen-containing gas 34, which is typically air, from a fluidizing blower 38. The solids 32 are contained in a lower portion 36 of the reheater 14 and are fluidized by the oxygen-containing gas 34 to form a fluidized bubbling bed of char, inorganic heat carrier particles, and the oxygen-containing gas 34. The reheater 14 is operating at combustion conditions to burn the char into ash and flue gas. In an exemplary embodiment, the combustion conditions include a combustion pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater, preferably of from about 70 to about 345 kPa gauge, more preferably of from about 140 to about 215 kPa gauge, and most preferably of from about 170 to about 175 kPa gauge. The flue gas is relatively compressed compared to conventional RTP reheater flue gas streams due to the relatively high combustion pressure in the reheater 14. The energy released from combustion of the char reheats the inorganic heat carrier particles to form the heated inorganic heat carrier particles 18. Preferably, the heated inorganic heat carrier particles 18 have a temperature of from about 600 to about 780° C. and are passed along to the reactor 12 for rapidly pyrolyzing additional carbonaceous material.

The flue gas, entrained inorganic solid particles, and ash rise to an upper portion 37 of the reheater 14 and are carried out of the reheater 14 as an exhaust stream 41 to a cyclone 43. In an exemplary embodiment, the cyclone 43 is operating at a pressure of about 70 kPa or greater. The cyclone 43, preferably a reverse flow cyclone, removes the inorganic solid particles and ash from the flue gas. The inorganic solid particles and ash are passed along as a solids-containing stream 49 for disposal or subsequent processing.

The flue gas is removed from the cyclone 43 as a gas stream 51. In an exemplary embodiment, the gas stream 51 has a pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater and a temperature of about 650° C. or greater. As illustrated, the gas stream 51 is passed along to an expander 48 that can be operably coupled to the fluidizing blower 38 or alternatively, operate as a stand-alone generator. The expander 48 expands the gas stream 51 to form an expanded flue gas stream 54 and to drive the fluidizing blower 38 or alternatively, to generate electricity for export. In an exemplary embodiment, the fluidizing blower 38 pressurizes an oxygen-containing stream 40 to form the oxygen-containing gas 34 having a pressure of about 70 kPa gauge or greater for introduction to the reheater 14.

Preferably, the expanded flue gas stream 54 has a pressure of from about 15 to about 30 kPa gauge and a temperature of from about 535 to about 635° C. The expanded flue gas stream 54 may optionally be passed along to the dryer zone 13 for removing water from the moisture-containing carbonaceous feedstock 11 to form the carbonaceous feedstock 20.

Accordingly, methods and apparatuses for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material have been described. The exemplary embodiments taught herein provide an apparatus configured as a RTP reactor-reheater arrangement that operates at relatively higher pressures than conventional RTP arrangements. By operating the RTP arrangement at pressures of about 70 kPa gauge or greater compared to typically lower RTP operating pressures of about 30 kPa gauge or less, the gaseous products, e.g., product vapors produced in the reactor and the flue gas produced in the reheater, are more compressed and have corresponding lower volumetric flow rates throughout the RTP arrangement. Accordingly, the reactor, reheater, and auxiliary equipment do not require additional volume that would otherwise be needed to accommodate the increased amounts of the gaseous products produced from increased carbonaceous feedstock rates and therefore, the cost and complexity of shipping, installing, and operating the RTP reactor-reheater arrangement is not substantially impacted.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing Detailed Description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing Detailed Description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended Claims and their legal equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for rapid thermal processing of carbonaceous material, comprising: i) contacting a carbonaceous feedstock with heated inorganic heat carrier particles at reaction conditions including a reactor pressure of from 140 to 215 kPa gauge effective to rapidly pyrolyze the carbonaceous feedstock to form a product stream comprising pygas, pyrolysis oil, and solids that comprise char and cooled inorganic heat carrier particles; ii) separating the solids from the product stream; iii) forming a flue gas having a pressure of from 140 to 215 kPa gauge from the separated solids and an oxygen-containing gas in a reheater; iv) expanding the flue gas in a fluidizing blower to pressurize the oxygen-containing gas to a pressure of at least about 70 kPa gauge, said expanded flue gas having a pressure of from 15 to 30 kPa gauge; and v) fluidly communicating the oxygen-containing gas to the reheater.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating solids step comprises a separation pressure of at least about 70 kPa gauge.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming flue gas step comprises combining the oxygen-containing gas and the solids in the reheater at combustion conditions effective to burn the char into ash and heat the cooled inorganic heat carrier particles to form the heated inorganic heat carrier particles and an exhaust stream that comprises the flue gas, entrained inorganic particles, and ash, wherein the combustion conditions include a combustion pressure of from 140 to 215 kPa gauge.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of separating the solid particles and ash from the flue gas is conducted at a separation pressure of at least about 70 kPa gauge.
 5. The method of claim 3, further comprising separating the solids from the product stream in a first cyclone in fluid communication with the reactor to receive the product stream at a first separation pressure of at least about 70 kPa gauge.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising separating the flue gas from the exhaust stream in a second cyclone in fluid communication with the reheater, wherein the second cyclone is configured to separate the flue gas from the exhaust stream at a second separation pressure of at least about 70 kPa gauge.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising passing the carbonaceous feedstock through a dryer zone prior to introducing the carbonaceous feedstock to the reactor.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanding step comprises forming an expanded flue gas, and said method further comprises: removing water from a moisture-containing carbonaceous feedstock using the expanded flue gas to form the carbonaceous feedstock.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanded flue gas has a temperature of from 535 to 635° C. 